The amount of electrical* work involved with basement finishing really depends on the degree to which the space was wired. There should be a breaker box in the basement and your electrician* will walk you through the needed amperage for the number of lights and outlets you require. The key here is the electrician*. Many homeowners are novice electricians* and have a rudimentary understanding of how to change a bulb, install a fixture or replace an outlet, but wiring a basement and adding breakers is a job that should be left to the professionals. The Reno Pros in Toronto is one such company that can come in and review your floor plan. They can discuss the options you have when it comes to switches, fixtures and outlets so that the wiring is inconspicuous and well positioned. The first step in getting your basement wired is to spend some time down there and get a feel for where you will need electrical* components. You may want can lighting in the ceiling, or a hanging fixture for a table. Should you elect to make your basement into a recreation room, you’ll most certainly want an outlet box and several plugs along the viewing wall in order to connect your television and entertainment system. Should you be considering making the basement into a rental space, you can expect to have wiring in virtually every wall, including interior walls that you may have built. So, it is a good idea to consider where you might want switches and outlets and make a diagram. After you’ve discussed your plan with a contractor, he/she will come out to the site and mark the position of each outlet box and switch, so that when the workers show up, they can follow the guidelines and successfully complete the first step in “roughing in” the electrical* work for your basement finishing project. That first step is basically drilling the necessary holes in your studs and framework that are needed to run the wiring throughout your basement. Next outlet boxes will be mounted on studs in the positions where they are required and the breakers will be added to the box. Next the electrician* will wire any recessed lighting or specially placed sconces in the basement. Choosing these touches is where the homeowner can tailor the expenses to his/her budget quite a bit. When faced with the average electrician’s* labour charge being somewhere in the neighborhood of $80-$100 per hour, there may not be enough of your budget left for high-end fixtures. All of this should be ironed out in the initial consultation with the contractor, so you should be able to choose these items with some confidence that you will stay within budget. Overall, you can expect to spend $3500-$4500 on a modest basement renovation project in the Toronto area and there are many reputable contractors that can do the job for you from start to finish including any electrical* work that needs done. Professionals like The Reno Pros are experts at finishing basements and they will work to make your additional square footage a useful and potentially income generating living space. Depending on your goals, finishing a basement can pay for itself in a couple of years. *The Reno Pros will contract out all electrical work to registered electrical contractors licensed with the Electrical Safety Authority.